Eumundi Voice, Issue 101, 5 September 2024

OUT AND ABOUT

Noosa Jazz Festival

The Noosa Jazz Festival opened on 22 August at The J with a special 30th anniversary performance for three local organisations –the Noosa Jazz Club, Noosa Chorale and the Tinbeerwah Art Group (TAG).

Mayor Frank Wilkie did an outstanding job as Master of Ceremonies. Some serious musicians were on stage, all with extensive international experience, including guest conductor Paul Coppens and guest jazz vocalist June Garber. TAG’s exhibition The Joy of Music was on display upstairs, rounding out an entertaining combination of art, music and song.

Gympie Bypass Community Day

After 15yrs of design and construction, the Cooroy to Curra upgrade of the Bruce Highway is nearing completion. In anticipation of an October 2024 opening, the Dept of Transport and Main Roads (TMR) organised a Community Day on 17 August.

Around 4,000 people walked a 5km stretch of the Gympie Bypass section and enjoyed live music, food trucks and a display of vintage cars. The 62km upgrade is quite an engineering achievement, with 42 bridges on the Gympie

Bypass section alone and more soil moved, and concrete poured than you could imagine. With 50% fewer trucks expected to pass through the town of Gympie and the highway built above the highest flood levels, the bypass should greatly improve both safety and traffic flows.